A royal swan

THAMES RIVER SWANS AND THE TRADITIONAL CEREMONY OF SWAN-UPPING
Originally a gift to England’s King from Queen Beatrice of Cyprus, the swans that you see puddling around on the Thames river are known as ‘royal birds’, although now ownership is shared between Her Majesty the Queen and two London guilds, the Worshipful Company of Dyers and the Worshipful Company of Vintners.

 Each year a traditional ceremony called swan-upping takes place on the Thames when representatives of the three owners set off in a fleet of skiffs to comb the river for unmarked birds. Each skiff has a special banner fluttering at the helm and the ‘swan herds’ are dressed in colorful uniforms. The Queen’s men lead the procession in scarlet and white, the Vintners in dark green and silver and the Dyers in blue and gold. All wear caps sporting a jaunty swan’s feather.


When the birds are caught they are dragged into the respective boats and marked; one nick on the beak for the Dyer’s birds, two nicks for the Vintner’s birds and the Queen’s, nick free, are dropped back in the water to paddle away, regal dignity intact.
 
This is just another of England's quaint traditions.
 
Photo copyright Anne Gordon
 
Posted on Sunday, 11th September, 2011

Representation of Charles de Gaulle in the
Canine art gallery in Paris's Hotel Napoleon

HOTEL NAPOLEON IN PARIS, CHOICE OF CELEBRITIES
Like a magnet, this city and the Hotel Napoleon have attracted fame and celebrity. Numerous stars, writers, artists and even royalty; among them King Constantine of Greece, Errol Flynn who called the Napoleon “the place”, Orson Welles, John Steinbeck, Salvadore Dali and Ernest Hemingway who as well as writing his now classic stories was also at one time the Toronto Star’s man in the Paris bureau, have all enjoyed the hotel’s hospitality.


We had our own brush with celebrity when riding the elevator to the breakfast room the following morning. We struck up a conversation with a charming American who thrust out his hand and introduced himself as Constantine Orbelian. He was, we discovered, the conductor of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, “the greatest chamber orchestra in the world” according to Dmitri Shostakovich. Much admired in Russia and worldwide, in 2004 Orbelian was awarded the title of “Honoured Artist of Russia” by President Putin.


On our way to breakfast I was drawn to a pseudo art gallery displaying a series of comical oil paintings. Depicting members of French society, some in full military dress…..all had canine faces. When I questioned the maitre’d about the paintings he agreed that “Some may not like them”. But then, unbowed and with a glimmer of sly humour, he leaned forward and whispered, “but we do”.

More to follow ...

Photo copyright Anne Gordon

Posted on Sunday, 11th September 2011

Youssopov Suite in the Hotel Napoleon

HISTORY, COMFORT AND LUXURY AT THE HOTEL NAPOLEON IN PARIS
The hotel’s 101 rooms including 47 suites provide extraordinary luxury and comfort for guests. Decorated in the Empire style favoured in Napoleon’s time, colours are rich and gilding plentiful. The Youssoupov suite, our home for two nights, was a dream setting fit for an emperor. A leopard skin print carpet was an exotic addition.


Named in honour of Prince Felix Youssoupov, the suite’s wall décor included photographs of the prince and his wife Princess Irina Alexandovna. Prince Felix, as those au fait with Russian history would know, had seen it his duty to Russia to rid the country of Tsaritsa Alexandra’s favourite holy man Rasputin. When lacing wine and chocolate cake with potassium cyanide failed to fell the “Mad Monk” as he was called, Prince Felix resorted to shooting him.

More to follow ...

Photo copyright Anne Gordon

Posted on Saturday, 10th September, 2011

My room with a view at the Hotel Napoleon

PARIS IS FOR LOVERS, THE HOTEL NAPOLEON A GIFT OF LOVE
Some wedding present! In 1928 when he married, wealthy Russian émigré and hotel owner Alexanae Pavlovitch Kleaguine bestowed upon the love of his life Paris's Hotel Napolean. And yes, as time revealed, that young and very beautiful Parisian art student was indeed the love of his life. The romantic pair married, raised their family and lived out their lives in the hotel’s grand surroundings. To this day the Napolean is a family-run operation.

Paris's famous Eiffel Tower

Looking across the rooftops of Paris through a mist of red geraniums, I was enchanted by the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Nightly, 20,000 flash bulbs decorating Paris’s tallest structure ignite, lighting the darkness with scintillating brilliance.


As I marvelled at the view from the Youssoupov suite I couldn’t help smiling as I thought of Hitler’s soldiers having to climb the equivalent of 81 storys on the Eiffel tower to hoist the swastika after a group of wily Frenchmen had cut the elevator cables. To add insult to injury, no sooner was the huge flag installed than it billowed out and took off in the wind.


Opening the French doors onto the balcony, the warm fragrant scent of the city drifted in. High above the racing traffic on Avenue de Friedland I leaned out and could see the Arc de Triomph close-by, gleaming golden in the night.

More to follow ...

Posted on Friday, 9th September, 2011

                ENGLAND NEWS ...

The World Shakespeare Festival
Running from April - November 2012, the World Shakespeare Festival is a celebration of Shakespeare as the world's playwright, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in an unprecedented collaboration with leading UK and international arts organisations and with Globe to Globe, a major international programme produced by Shakespeare's Globe.


The Festival features major new productions, groundbreaking international collaborations and radical interpretations of Shakespeare's work by some of the world's leading theatre companies, alongside a range of exhibitions, events and interactive online projects.


All Over the UK
Productions and events will take place across the UK, in locations including Stratford-upon-Avon, London, Newcastle/Gateshead, Wales and Scotland, as well as online.


Explore the Festival Website, www.worldshakespearefestival.org.uk

The Best of UK and International Creative Talent
The Festival is an unprecedented collaboration involving theatres, companies and cultural organisations from across the world, including:
Almeida Theatre
Anglo Mexican Foundation
Artistes, Producteurs, Associés
Barbican
Barcelona Internacional Teatre
BBC
Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company
Brighton Festival
British Council
British Museum
Chekhov International Theatre Festival
Companhia BufoMecânica
Compañia Nacional de Teatro
Contact, Manchester
Dmitry Krymov's Laboratory
dreamthinkspeak
Edinburgh International Festival
Hall for Cornwall
House of Fairy Tales
Iraqi Theatre Company
London International Festival of Theatre
Lyric Theatre, Belfast
National Student Drama Festival
National Theatre
National Theatre of Scotland
National Theatre Wales
National Youth Theatre
New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich
Newcastle University
Ninagawa Company
Northern Sinfonia
Northern Stage
The Nuffield, Southampton
Oily Cart
Pilot, Questors Theatre
Riverside Studios
Roundhouse
Royal Shakespeare Company
Sage Gateshead
School of Dramatic Art Theatre
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Shakespeare's Globe
Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center
Sherman Cymru, Cardiff
Squidsoup
Stratford Circus
Tate Modern
Teatr Warszawa
Theatre Royal Newcastle
Voluntary Arts Network
The Wooster Group


Festival Supporters
The World Shakespeare Festival is supported by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, by Arts Council England and by BP, Founding Presenting Partner of the Festival.


The World Shakespeare Festival is part of the London 2012 Festival.

Posted on Friday, 9th September, 2011

                 HONG KONG NEWS ...


HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, AN EXCITING AUTUMN DESTINATION

The coming of September heralds a wonderful musical event for Hong Kong: the HK International Jazz Festival, scheduled to take place over eight days from 25 September to 2 October. Over 300 musicians will come from 24 countries on six continents to offer over 60 performances, workshops and exhibitions designed not only for lovers of jazz but also for fans of other musical genres.


In addition to traditional and modern jazz offerings, audiences will be thrilled by flamenco and gypsy swing, folk and ethnic music, capella concerts and the full range of what is known as ‘world music’. Performers include Poncho Sanchez, Terence Blanchard, Ted Lo, Freddy Cole (Nat King’s youngest brother), Maria João and many others. Ensembles include the Kurt Rosenwinkel Standard Trio from the USA, Chico and the Gypsies from France, the Stouxingers from Germany, the Amsterdam Klezmer Band and many others. Language will certainly not be a problem… for the international language of music will be heard all over Hong Kong during those exciting days.


In addition to the musical performances, scheduled to be held in a variety of locations, there will be musical workshops and an exhibition of photographs chronicling the many tours and performances of luminaries such as Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan and others.


Many of the Jazz Festival events will be free, while ticketed events will carry deep discounts for seniors and students.

Posted on Friday, 9th September, 2011

Medieval banquet in Cardiff Castle

A MEDIEVAL WELSH  BANQUET IN CARDIFF CASTLE, A NIGHT OF MERRIMENT
Way back in 76AD Cardiff Castle started life as a Roman Fort.  Today the castle is an integral part of a lovely city where modernity mixes effortlessly with a past watched over by a 12th century Norman Keep.  The castle's sumptious Victorian interior; stained glass windows, richly emblazoned walls and ornate ceilings that rival any I've seen in Spain and France can be attributed to its wealthy patron the Marquis of Bute.

Catherine Evans with Barney the Red-tailed Buzzard

In keeping with its past, an on-site falconry center re-enacts for the public the medieval sport of hunting with birds of prey.  Confined within the castle's battlements, a Red-tailed Buzzard named Barney clings with wicked claws to the leather gauntlet of falconer, Catherine Evans, while brilliant peacocks sweep majestically across emerald lawns.

An event not to be missed for visitors to Cardiff,  is a medieval banquet in the cellar of the castle.  Guests are treated to a traditional meal accompanied by mead, a drink made of honey and wine 

We dined on Glamorgan sausage, Caerphilly Cheese Souffle Tart served with cream and herb sauce.  And then my favourite, Welsh Honey Cream Mousse topped with raspberries and chocolate served with a Danzy Jones creme anglaise. 

Alun Saunders our Welsh host at the banquet was in top form.  His group of entertainers were in full voice serenading us with the songs of a people that love to sing. Saunders invited us to join in if we knew any of the songs and "If you don't know the words then shut up", he said.

At a later banquet, the Welsh Guards pictured here played a stirring rendition
of Tom Jones's "Delilah" much to the delight of all of us.

 Tom Jones, that famous singing Welshman - much loved by the ladies, including me - who took the world by storm with such songs as "Delilah" was ragged unmercifully throughout the night.  Saunders, after telling us that we were supposed to have peacock pie for dinner, doubled with laughter in his telling, "Tom Jones took the last peacock.  Apparently it's the only bird he can catch these days".  This followed an exchange with the castle chef when Saunders shouted for him to bring on the peacock.  The chef roared back "There ain't no peacock". Altogether it was a jolly evening, lots of clapping, laughter and powerful Welsh vocals.

At one point in the evening I suspected that Saunders had plans to call up some of the audience for a spot of fun.  And yes I was one of them.  Next time I shall sit well back from the stage.

Posted by Anne Gordon on Friday, 2nd September, 2011

Photos copyright Anne Gordon